Henderson State University received more than $340,000 in incentives from the Entergy Arkansas CitySmart energy efficiency program. Henderson’s upgrades will save money and significantly reduce electricity usage, allowing the university to reinvest in the economic health of Arkadelphia.

“Since 2012, Entergy Arkansas has given us financial incentives to upgrade our facilities, so we save money and encourage economic growth in our community,” said Bobby Jones, vice president for finance and administration. “On top of that, these changes are good for the environment, which is very important to Henderson State and our community.”

Participation in the CitySmart program resulted in a number of upgrades on campus, including lighting and heating and air upgrades installed in 2012, and a chiller installed in 2013. The total incentive amount for these upgrades is $342,218.89.

“Taking steps to be more energy efficient helps not only Henderson State’s bottom line, but all Entergy Arkansas customers because when we reduce our energy usage, together we postpone or avoid the need to build new power plants to power our state,” said Paul Speers, Entergy Arkansas account service manager. “That’s a win-win for communities, companies and the Natural State.”

Entergy Arkansas has a portfolio of energy efficiency programs for both residential and business solutions, Speers said. CLEAResult, an Austin, Texas-based energy efficiency company, implements these programs on behalf of Entergy.

“Through these programs, we helped identify potential energy efficiency projects,” said Ryan Johnson, energy engineering analyst for CLEAResult. “We then worked with Henderson’s physical plant department to determine the best possible upgrades to maximize both campus energy efficiency and Entergy Arkansas incentive.”